Although blogger has served me well these past few years, I am updating my blog to a new site. I am in the process of transferring everything to the new site which you can find here.
Please check it out and let me know what you think. I believe it will be much more user friendly and will allow the readers to access the information easily at the same time I am giving even more exposure to the rescue world.
Thanks for reading.Jean

I share a lot of animals on Facebook. Many of those animals are not from my area but were received from many different groups around the country.
The most prevalent breed shared are pitbulls/mixes or dogs labeled as such. I also share every breed in between.
I have only 207 friends on Facebook. Compared to some, that is not a lot of people. These friends live all over the country from California to upstate New York and all points in the middle. When I post a dog or cat from this area, the chances of my friend Bob, in California calling about that animal is probably pretty slim. I know Bob. I also know he will forward those animals to his list of friends who also live all over the country, including Florida. Now his friends may not be my friends, so if he forwards a dog or cat from Sarasota to a friend he was in Miami, who's to say that person won't drive up here to meet the dog or cat? Or what if I post a dog I receive from California, he sends it to his friends in California and one of them find their lifelong companion? That is how Facebook is supposed to work.
I recall several years ago when I was volunteering at the Humane Society of Sarasota County when a gentleman called from Ft. Lauderdale. He had seen a dog on Petfinder, a chocolate Labrador we had for adoption, and was in inquiring if the dog was still available. It just so happened the dog was still available, he drove over and adopted the dog. You see, he was very wealthy and lived on his boat. His ex-wife would not allow him to have a big dog so when they divorced, he came and adopted one we had. The last I heard, the dog was living happily on the boat with a very rich owner. I can only wish all the dogs and cats we post could find an owner like that.
You never know who is going to see a photo of a animal, decide they can't live without it, and move mountains to bring it to them.
My friend, Devon, lives in Tennessee but used to live in Sarasota. She not only adopted a dog scheduled to die from a very rural shelter in Palatka, but then attempted to adopted a Florida Brown Dog puppy from a shelter in Lake County. That adoption fell through when the pup found a home before the rescue here could happen so she is still looking for a second dog. Do I feel bad because there are dogs dying in Tennessee? Of course I do. I hate the fact any animals must die in shelters but my goal is to find them homes. Good homes. Sometimes I must go out of the area to do that. If I save one dog's life, that is my goal.
I cannot save them all but I can continue to give all the dogs sent me a chance to be seen by as many people as possible. This does not mean I don't promote all the dogs in our area, but maybe the dogs in these other areas don't have as many dedicated rescuers as we have. Maybe they need just a little boost. Maybe something I write or share will be seen by someone who would like to be involved and then they will begin sharing. more animals in their area. My animals, with the exception of Carmella, have all come from Sarasota or Manatee county. I adopt where I live but I share with everyone.

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4 (THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

**PLEASE READ THIS** I HAVE CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE SHELTER AND HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OR SEE THEM LARGER AND UNALTERED...JUST CLICK THE LINK TO GET TO THE PAGE...THANK YOU.

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4 (THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

**PLEASE READ THIS** I HAVE CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE SHELTER AND HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OR SEE THEM LARGER AND UNALTERED...JUST CLICK THE LINK TO GET TO THE PAGE...THANK YOU.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISEVERY URGENTCAGE 87- ID# 155: Breed: Shep X. Age: 8 yrs. old, Neutered MALE, Black and Tan. Name: Tobby. Very Sweet!!!! ADOPTED AND RETURNEDPossibly has hip dysplasia or arthritis.He came in last week and then was adopted out and then they brought him back because they took him to the vets and found out about his hip problem so they didnt wanna put the money into it.

Sadly, we were not able to find an adoptive home or rescue for Princess, the 2 year old lab/weimaraner mix at OCAS and she was euthanized yesterday. Godspeed, pretty girl.

These two girls are running out of time..............PLEASE continue to crosspost and share them. They are both at Orange County Animal Services in Orlando, Florida off of Conroy Road across from Millennia Mall. Remember.....if you call the shelter at 407-254-9150, you must reference the dog by her Identification Number.

As always, please do not let distance deter you. If you will rescue either or both, we WILL find a way to get them to you.

The clock is ticking for these girls...........

Animal ID: A242900 Room No.: WD06

Hi, my name is Besina. I am an approximately 10 year old black and gray female Labrador Retriever. I am friendly and I have not been tested for heartworms.

Animal ID: A242459 Room No.: WD32

Hi, my name is Lizzy. I am an approximately 13 year old brown female Boxer-Mix. I am friendly and I tested heartworm negative. temperament testing and a health screen

(Disclaimer: I am not an employee, volunteer nor representative of Orange County Animal Services. I am simply an individual trying to save these dogs' lives.)

Mark did an eviction for a bank and he found this sweet little 6-8 year old mixed breed left behind in a crate—outside in heat, no food or water. We found someone to foster her, a Realtor we work with. But she can’t keep her. If you can please send this out through your network it would be appreciated.

She was checked out by a vet yesterday everything was fine. She did have hookworms but is being treated. They gave her a parvo and distemper shot.

She’s a sweet girl.

Foster mom’s contact information is provide in attached e-mail and a couple of pictures of Pepper are attached.

Gidget is 3 yo and 11 lbs. She was adopted from the shelter but a year later she needs to be rehomed. She is great with kids and women, but a little fearful of men. Very loving little girl. Please call Kathy 305 401 4693 if you can give Gidget a loving home.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

We lost the battle yesterday. We did not defeat the uneducated and fearful voters in Dade County, We staged a valiant effort through emails and social networking, but we lost this battle.
We have not, however, lost the war.
On my main page I make the statement, "only through education and legislation will we stop the needless killing of homeless animals." I still believe this to be true.
Miami, for some reason, has always marched to the tune of its' own drummer. They proved it again yesterday and so the war continues.
This state of my father and forefathers has always had a huge disparity in educated and illiterate, wealthy and poor, rural and urban. It is painfully obvious we need a lot more education on dog behavior to be carried to the masses. The ones who actually believe most newspaper headlines and think of pitbulls as raging, killing machines, designed only to attack women and children while killing other dogs and small animals. The disparagement of the breed continues to run rampant among newspapers, not only from the undeducated editors but to the reporters who tell the story. The old adage, "If it bleeds, it leads,"~Marshall McLuhan, still holds true today much like it did during the days of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hurst and yellow journalism.
Twenty three years ago a child was mauled by a dog in Miami. She was eight years old. The dog was unleashed and attacked her while she was in her driveway. This was a tragic accident but could have been caused by any other large breed dog. What happened to the owner? Why was the dog running loose? This is what preempted the ban in Dade County. People have not forgotten.
In April, a two month old child was attacked and killed by a family dog. The dog was a Labrador/Golden Retriever mix. In Nevada, a Mastiff/Ridgeback killed a one year old at his birthday party and in Virginia a Jack Russell terrier mauled a 20 day old infant. Three tragedies in one month. Should we ban Labradors and Golden Retrievers? What about JRTs. Do you own a Mastiff or a Ridgeback? Did you even read about this in any Florida newspaper? These dogs were NOT pitbulls.
Holding owners responsible for their dogs is one step we need to take. Educating parents and children is another. For some reason, these two simple steps have fallen by the wayside in the last thirty years. It is much easier to blame an animal than to hold parents and pet owners accountable.
Two stories come to mind which actually happened to me. These illustrate the state of personal responsibility.
Several years ago when I was going through a divorce, my husband and I owned two beautiful, purebred Rottweilers. It was decided that I would take both dogs. My ex-husband was very sick at the time with lung cancer and had no strength to control the dogs. Before the house was sold, he was living in it with the two dogs. He decided to take them both for a walk at the same time. As they were walking down the road, an older gentleman walked to closely to John and my female nipped him on his calf as he was walking by. I am sure she thought she needed to protect her master but she did leave marks on the gentleman's leg. He reported to the police department and the next thing I knew, I received a call about the dogs.
Manatee County Animal Services came to my house to retrieve both animals. (The man could not distinguish between the animals so both had to be quarantined for ten days.) I had to load my dogs in the truck, pay the county for ten days of quarantine, and provide the county with all their veterinary paperwork.
After the ten day period, I went to pick up my babies. The employees at animal control could not believe either one of my dogs had bitten someone because they were such gentle, loving creatures. I believe Jessie thought she was protecting John. I believe she knew he was sick and thought the old man walking was a threat to him. I did the responsible thing, paid for it and then boarded the dogs until I could move into my house in Sarasota, There was never another incident, it didn't make the papers and the dogs lived long after that.
When I was volunteering at the humane society and working with shelter dogs, the local television station sent a very young reporter out to do a story on our training program. I was working with a pitbull/English Bulldog mix named Munson. Many of the dogs we were working with were pitbull mixes. This young reporter was absolutely petrified of all of the dogs. I am talking shaking in her shoes, don't let that dog near me scared. All because of their breed. She had never been around dogs in general and had read so many horror stories about pitbulls she was scared. Now why would a television station send a reporter who is scared of dogs to do a story on them? Do you think some of her bias against the breed might show through?
I, being the person I am, introduced her to each of the animals she would be speaking about. I managed to get her to actually pet Munson and her story was done with no bias at all. It brought the agency many new volunteers and as far as I know, all the dogs featured found good homes and are still living today. That is education. It could have gone the other way.
Please continue to try and educate people and especially children. Make sure your county holds owners responsible, not dogs. Vote on animal issues. Let your representatives know how you feel. Don't become angry with people who don't agree with you. Speak in a calm, controlled manner and attempt to educate. Discuss with facts, not beliefs. We must continue to fight against BSL in a reasonable, educated manner even when we are seething inside.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

I voted today. I unfortunately do not live in Dade County so I cannot vote to repeal the ban on pitbulls, but I voted today.
One of the first things I did when I turned eighteen years old in 1975 was register to vote. I have not missed an election since then.
I vote so I can complain. If one of my candidates doesn't do what he said, I write to him or I call. I can do that because I voted.
Besides animal issues, I watch issues concerning women, immigration, health care, children, expansion, and environment. These are issues I care about.
The apathy I see from adults is very scary for me. I would like to believe we are not sheep but many in the population prove me wrong again and again. I find that very sad.
Since the beginning of our country, men and women have died for us so we remain free and have the right to vote in free elections. Please honor these heroes and vote. You may not agree with my stance, but you have the right to disagree in this country. If we ever lose the right to vote, we will also lose the right to disagree.

Monday, August 13, 2012

I was found as a stray and I may be available for adoption on 08/05/2012.
Comments: Popeye is a one-eyed wonder with one big, loving heart! He absolutely adores people and seems to have had a hard little life so far(by the looks of his eye missing).
Popeye is around 1 yr old and would be a great companion for any person as an only dog. He doesn't seem to like other dogs but LOVES people. Please come meet him!

This ALBUM of SMALL dogs has a 30% Kill Rate. Please ACT FAST!All dogs are located at Miami-Dade Animal Services.

We are VOLUNTEERS and are not affiliated with the Shelter. Shelter Address:7401 NW 74 StreetMiami, FL 33166

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT:352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4 (THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

**PLEASE READ THIS** I HAVE CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE SHELTER AND HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OR SEE THEM LARGER AND UNALTERED...JUST CLICK THE LINK TO GET TO THE PAGE...THANK YOU.

SHARING FROM A FACEBOOK POSThttps://www.facebook.com/
photo.php?fbid=4422269643072&set=a.3985440802624.2169754.1478888884&type=1&theater#!/photo.php?fbid=4422269643072&set=a.3985440802624.2169754.1478888884&type=1&theaterURGENT & OUT OF TIMEPrincess was actually beaten during a difficulty delivery of puppies! Owner has been arrested..now they are out of time at Hillsborough County Animal Services

Friday, August 10, 2012

When I leave work in the evenings, I have posted every animal I have received during my day. They are either shared on my Facebook page or covered in the blog.
When I wake up 5 or 6 hours later, I have just as many new dogs and cats waiting in my in box or my Facebook page as I had when I went to sleep.
Being the eternal optimist, I keep hoping I will wake up and there will be no needy animals. The numbers over the last 20 years have gone down, but are still extremely high in my opinion.
The shift in human outlook towards responsibility is one of the reasons I believe the numbers seem stagnant for the past few years. The trend towards shifting responsibility of your animals to anyone else but yourself seems to be the number one reason for the overcrowding of animal shelters.
"I can't afford to have my pet fixed." I hear this all the time. If this was coming from an uneducated, backwoods person I would be a little more accepting of this excuse but that is not the case. I have heard this at least 10 times in the last month from educated people who should know better. This attitude creates more litters of puppies and kittens which end up in shelters and rescues and exacerbates the whole problem.
"Vets are too expensive." Newsflash: Veterinarians must go through years and years of college and vet school before they can actually put DVM in back of their name. Many have college loans which must be paid off and their own households to run. They donate their time and money to rescues and shelters to help as many homeless animals as they can. They run low cost vaccination clinics in many areas and are not out playing golf and relaxing all week. If you feel you cannot afford vet care for a pet, don't adopt one to become someone else's problem when you tire of it.
"My dog (or cat) keeps ____________. They can't be trained." If one more person tells me their animal is stupid and can't be trained I believe I will simply scruff them and throw them out the door. What exactly are you putting in the relationship? Are you working with a trainer? Have you identified the problem and discussed a possible medical issue? Is the dog or cat simply in your home with no interaction from you?
Betty, my hound mix has decided she must pee on the floor every night while I am at work. This behavior just started and I am trying to figure out what has changed in my house. She was on a schedule and now she isn't, so we need to work on the schedule again. I am not giving her back.
The thought of responsibility in today's society seems to be shifting. People want to make everything in their lives which is not perfect, someone else's problem or fault. This attitude is not doing the animals any favors. Please don't take on the responsibility of a pet if you are not willing to follow through. The end result is the death of many through the actions of a few.

Hello, my name is Jasmine.. I'm at Levy County Animal Services in Bronson, FL.. this poem that Ms. Jody sent out pretty much explains my story.. the only difference is that my family didn't even take me to the shelter.. they just dumped me and my friend, Joey, at the landfill gates.. for days and days we had to rummage around the garbage piles to find something to eat.. then when they opened on a Monday.. we went running up to Ms. Lena's car to say "hello".. Mr. Nathan took us down to the kennels and gave us fresh food and water.. my friend, Joey, got lucky and a rescue came to save him.. he was younger, smaller, and heartworm negative.. well.. here I sit .. by myself now.. facing death alone.. I only have 48 hrs. left to find a "forever home".. no one has shown any interest in saving me.. you see.. I'm older, I'm heartworm positive, and I'm a big girl.. I think I'm kind of a dobie/rottie mix and around 4-5 yrs. old.. Please don't let me die here.. call Ms. Lena at the shelter (352-486-5138) or call/text Ms. Jody (352-316-5155).. If you could just come and spend some time with me.. you'll see how sweet, friendly, and playful I am.. take a look into my eyes.. you'll see my happy soul.. don't let me become just a memory.. Thanks, Jasmine
If anyone can help here, please call Ms. Lena at the shelter (352-486-5138) or call/text Ms. Jody (352-316-5155).
Crossposters, please crosspost.

TO ALL: While searching for the Tallahassee Chow I ran across this handsome young male whose time is likely going to be up soon. Please network. I have attempted to email the shelter (jaxpets@coj.net) to let them know we are networking but please call (904) 255-7387 to request an extension.

THIS PUP GIVEN ONE MORE DAY TO FIND RESCUE AS SHE NOW HAS $100 DONATION OFFER - HEALTHY ADOPTABLE DOG BUT SHELTER IS PACKED! SHE WAS ALMOST PTS THIS MORNING BUT DONATIONS CAME IN AND SHE WAS SPARED ANOTHER DAY.

dslade@AlachuaCounty.US & Copy sclontz@AlachuaCounty.US and be sure to include SUBJECT LINE

"A468587 Pit Bull on tomorrows euthanasia list in Gainesville FL"We have a very sweet Pit mix on tomorrows euthanasia list. If anyone can help her please let us know by 8:30 am tomorrow morning.
Thank you for all you do.

(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)**PLEASE READ THIS** I HAVE CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE SHELTER AND HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OR SEE THEM LARGER AND UNALTERED...JUST CLICK THE LINK TO GET TO THE PAGE...THANK YOU.https://www.facebook.com/HelpingTheAnimalsInTavaresFlLcas

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE
LAST CHANCE

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Please cross post and if you pull from OCAS they do fix the dogs and provide 100% vetting and for rescue that are affiliated with them August they are having a promotion, free pulls and all vetting is included :) There are many rescues that can help to get her to safety if anyone has space.

If you are not registed with OCAS please contact Veoncia Veronica@fldoglover.com She is does not word for OCAS/affliliated with them, but she knows a lot of rescues that could assist a reputable rescue.

UNKNOWN

A242116 - UNALTERED FEMALE, BR BRINDLE PIT BULL MIX, 2Y

This animal is currently located in kennel WDI24 and will be available for rescue until 08/08/2012.

Comments: This friendly girl came in as a stray. She weighs 54 lbs and is HW-. Per vet notes: Dog has deep wound on caudolateral aspect of left front leg. Wound has irregular margins and is approximately 4cm x 2cm. Thin flap of skin hanging from caudal border or wound. Clipped surrounding area. Scrubbed with chlorhexidine. Applied 0.1cc of lidocaine to skin flap attachment site. Removed skin flap with 10 blade. Applied staples. // Please let us know if anyone can save her. Thanks, Debi

This dog is currently living in a condo in Bradenton. His owners work all day and so he is tethered to a tree outside all day long. Not being otherwise abused. Just not leading a very good life. He was bought as a puppy and given to their little boy who passed away about a year ago. The landlord wants him gone. Koda is 3 years young and loves other animals. He’s a good boy. No chewing, digging or other bad habits. Isn’t wild about loud, aggressive situations.If interested, contact Mary Ann at mawmaf@yahoo.com or 922-5050.

Our family dog, Blackie, was very old when he died. He had heartworm disease. At the time, they were just developing a preventative and for treatment, they used arsenic. Bigfoot, another family dog had to go through the treatment when we first began using preventative. It was not easy for him, but he was a young dog and he came through the treatment with no problems. He was also a well-kept dog with plenty to eat and drink and a family to love him.
Neglected dogs who are heartworm positive have a much rougher time. Many times they are skinny to the point of emaciation and they cannot handle the poisons given to kill the worms. Then as the body is dispelling the dead worm, they stand a chance of blog clots which can kill quickly.
The following item was published after Satchel's lost one of the sweetest dogs. Her name was Diamond.

Do you know her? Perhaps you have seen her tied to a tree in your neighbor's yard. You would be able to recognize her. Her teats hang low because she had a couple of litters of puppies before she was 18 months old. They all died.

She is skinny because she has never been fed enough and her coat is dull. She is covered with fleas and ticks and doesn't have enough meat on her bones to support herself, much less a litter of pups.

She has never seen a vet, has every known worm a vet could diagnose and yet you say nothing. You say nothing because she is just another dog. She isn't yours. You would never treat one of your pets that way. You walk by every day and see her, laying in the dirt with a sad expression in her brown eyes.

Well, she died today. She died, not because no one said anything. She died because no one said anything soon enough. You see, she had the nastiest kind of worm; heartworm.

She was rescued several months ago from abysmal conditions in north Florida. She was stick thin and had just had a litter of puppies. She was high positive for heartworm. So we took her in and loved her.

She had the most gentle of dispositions, despite her luck in life and she was nursed back to health by very dedicated and caring people. Her name was Diamond. A diamond in the rough if you will and I loved her. She was so scared when I first met her and it took several visits for her tail to begin to wag when she saw me. She was hand shy and always scared she was going to be hit, but she only knew gentleness by our hands.

She was treated for heartworm and we thought the worst was past. We are admonished by people who know, to not exert dogs after heartworm treatment. Short walks, no excitement, and a calm environment. Diamond made it past that. The problem was the micro filariasis, which are the dead worm larvae. They can cause embolisms or simply shock when they are passing through the blood system and the dog can die.

So, despite all the love and care in the world, Diamond died today. Did you know her?

Footnote: Please use heartworm preventative and educate those who you know who do not. There is no reason any dog should die from this disease except for irresponsible people who simply don't give a damn about the animals.
If this touches you and you use heartworm preventative on your animals, please consider educating others of this disease. Contribute to organizations which help needy families with the cost of these medicines. Fairy Tail Endings is a great one to donate to. Or buy some from your vet and donate it to the vet so he can dispense it to one of his needy clients. Donate cash to your favorite rescue and tag it for heartworm preventative for one of their homeless pets. Please help save a life. Heartworms kill dogs in Florida every day. Mosquitoes are the carrier and we all know we have plenty of those here. No dog is safe because it only takes one mosquito bite. Dogs are euthanized in animal agencies because they are positive and there is no money to treat them. Please do what you can.

159788
Delaney
8 yrs old
currently 41 lbs
female (should be spayed already)
HW pos
The info they got from her chip says that she was adopted from a shelter up in the Carolinas and somehow ended up being found out by 6 L's (rural area) in the condition she was in.
She is very sweet and a little timid at first – just adores the people she has gotten to know and is very loving.

Please call Nancy 305-803-6817 or email her atkiwi4u123@yahoo.com if you would like to meet this dear boy.Two animal lovers were at an adoption event showing another dog that they had rescued and at the event Animal Control had this little old guy, Harvey. They knew that it was going to be hard for this boy to find a home and so they just could not leave him there to face the inevitable. They adopted him themselves with the hopes of finding him a home. Harvey is a terrier mix about 10 yo. His original owner surrendered him to a kill shelter. He is quite well behaved and very loving, just looking for a warm home to spend his last years. Harvey weighs about 23 lbs and gets along with other dogs.

Do you know this dog? Have you seen a dog which looks like this at your rescue facility? I bet you have. I bet you money, right now, if you go to your local rescue group or human society you will find a dog which looks just like this. In fact, you will probably find several of this variety.
Betty, who has made her home with me for less that a year, is, for the most part, a joy to live with. Now, I admit she has some quirks but what dog doesn't? (well, maybe my Buzz but he is the exception to the rule)
Betty, simply put, is just an old, brown dog.
Her story is the same as many dogs which come through an animal control agency. She was picked up as part of a cruelty case along with four other dogs. All of them except Betty and her brother had to be euthanized due to medical problems. Her brother, who she adored, was adopted quickly, but Betty was not so lucky. Despite the fact she has a great personality and is one of the happiest dogs I have ever met, she had a bum leg. Actually, a bum knee. The Sarasota County Animal Control facility did not have the funds to fix her leg, so they called the one group they thought might save her: Satchel's Last Resort.
She left the county facility and went straight to the vet. He attempted to fix her knee, which he said had been dislocated and had developed scar tissue. He also stated it had to have been very painful for Betty, but you never even heard her growl. The surgery was not a success. Her knee is still crooked. She also walks with a limp, especially when she is tired. You would never know that watching her chase squirrels or run and play. She is fast as lightning.
Several days ago she began scratching a lot and when I examined her, found her covered in red bumps, ears inflamed and knew I needed to call in the vet.
Buzz had a blood test scheduled for his thyroid, so I asked Dr. Erik, of Vets to You, to examine Betty when he came. Allergies were the culprit and she received a shot and a prescription for a secondary skin infection from the allergies. While Rhys, Dr. Erik's vet tech and a personal friend was holding her, she made the statement to me that it was lucky I had adopted her or she may still be sitting in a kennel, waiting on her forever home because she was "just an old, brown dog."
Rhys hit the nail on the head. When people see a dog like Betty, they walk past the kennel. They never even see the wonderful personality of the dogs they pass. They are not flashy or show quality. They are not small and cuddly. It is unfortunate people don't look beyond. These FBD's or old brown dogs are the best in the world. If you doubt that, let me extend an invitation to you to come and meet Betty and Buzz. You would change your mind.
So please visit your local facility and don't dismiss a dog simply on their looks. There are hundreds of old brown or black or white or multi-colored dogs just waiting for you to love them. Don't miss your chance.

Communities which do not have a strong volunteer base or lots of tax money always have a weaker save rate for animals who are not wanted by their owners any longer.
The unfortunate part of this equation is even when you can get people to step up and begin working for the animals, you are still going to have cases of neglect and abuse which are horrifying.
Putnam County is one county in Florida. Its' animal control facility is located behind a landfill with very little exposure. Months ago a call came out over the internet for help with these unwanted animals. The public stepped up. Volunteers and rescue groups from different areas fought through stereotypes, Fought the Sheriff's department who sanctioned the killing of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes and began a rescue program for pit bulls and have done a fanatastic job in getting some exposure for the animals. I know people who have no idea where Putnam County, Florida is at, but they still share animals on their facebook page and then ask their friends to do the same.
I was feeling pretty good about Putnam County and then I read this story in the paper about the horses and it made me sad all over again. It is plain to see we need lots more education about cruelty and abuse. We need to get the word out about taking care of animals and committment. The animals are depending on us.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Don't you just love headlines like this? Local, hmm! We are urged to shop local, buy local, travel local to help support businesses in our area.
In Sarasota County alone, twenty three animal groups are within 15 miles of my house and I am not including any from the surrounding counties. Twenty three! There are several missing who pull from our local animal control because their base is not in Sarasota, but they maintain foster programs here to help alleviate the overcrowding of purebred dogs in the county facility.
With that many groups, some who may specialize in the most needy or the seniors, anyone who lives in this area should have to go no further than 15 miles to find a dog or cat who needs a home.
After the past 5 years of dismal economic outlook, ALL the shelters and rescue groups are bursting at the seams with unwanted pets. These are either strays or owner relinquished animals who have done nothing wrong. In many cases, these are puppies or kittens who were born because their human was not responsible for them. Yet each group I know continues to try and pull "just one more." to save a life.
Because I don't know how to phrase this in any other terms and believe in laying the truth out on the line, we ALL need help. We are struggling to keep our animals fed and taken care of. We work hard every day just to keep food on the table. Our foster families continue to help, but the animals who continue to live in shelters need "stuff". These animals need volunteers to help walk the dogs and keep them socialized. They need people to show them they are not forgotten. Blankets help keep concrete floors from being too hard when a bed is not available. Treats help remind them they are special to us. Food is nourishment for them to keep them active and happy. We need all those things but most of all, we need adopters and money.
We need adopters to take some of these wonderful, homeless animals home. Home so they can have a soft bed, their own food dish and their own pack to be happy with.
We need money to continue to keep operating. Our donations have slipped right along with the economy. We need the dollars to continue to flow in, even in smaller amounts. Please don't think the $5.00 you contribute does not matter and that you want to give $50.00 so you may end up giving nothing at all.
My special shelter/sanctuary is Satchel's Last Resort. Please consider visiting their site and donating anything you can. If you have treats or blankets, used chairs or beds, I will come and pick them up. If another shelter in this area is more to your liking, please contact them with the donations. They will appreciate it.
The only way we can stay in business is if we are supported by our local residents. Please stay local.

About Me

I am passionate about animals. After owning and working with animals for years, I believe we must be their voice and it will only be through education and legislation we can stop the euthanasia of millions of animals in this country every year.
I am a volunteer with my local shelter and put in as many hours as my schedule allows. I own 2 rescue dogs, Buzz and Betty, the 2 Florida Brown Dogs in the photo with me.
I believe those that could, should, whether it be money or time because the animals cannot speak for themselves.